Unwritten
by Malluchan
Summary: As the plans for the Beyblade World Championships are revealed, Harley and Ryuga find that they have two paths: to have a normal life like they always wished for, or to see another adventure before they're all grown up. As for what lies ahead of them, today is where their book begins; the rest is still unwritten. Sequel to Tainted Light.
1. Prologue

It was around that time of year when Spring and Summer can't decided between one or the other. It was warm some days, and cool on others; Namine, the alpaca, was carrying a baby.

Just when things had seemed to settle down, they were starting back up. Tenma, Luis's mother, had started having Harley and Ryuga do work around the farm, and they weren't accustomed to it; they'd come in from the barn with the backs of their shirts soaked while Luis would be asking whether they were starting yet. Even his little sisters could beat Ryuga at feeding the llamas.

So one day Tenma took pity on them and sent them to the nicely air-conditioned supermarket in town, to get her some groceries. Luis dropped them off at the store with his oranges; he'd come get them when he came back for the crates a few hours later.

Harley and Ryuga split up, like they always did. Harley grabbed the nearest pack of eggs and started skipping away with it when suddenly a hush fell over the grocery store; all eyes turned to the TV monitors above the refrigerated aisles, fixated on the news.

"Big news, big news, BIG NEWS!" The ecstatic DJ was whirling around in front of his cardboard stage. "The WBBA has declared that a new World Championship Tournament will be held over the summer to determine the strongest blader country in the world! Tournaments to decide the Japan team members will commence this Saturday afternoon in Metal City! If you want a shot at it...you better be there!"

Harley and Ryuga collided in the centre of the pizza aisle. "Did you just see that!?"

"Yes. I saw that."

"Ryuga, we have to enter!"

"Why?" For some reason her brother was being sceptical again.

"Because. Did you not hear? WORLD. CHAMPIONSHIPS. This is our chance to be number 1! We can show our stuff, finally!"

Ryuga looked down at the palm of his left hand, where there was burned forever a dragon in steel. He still - and always would - bear the mark of that last battle, if not on his palm then on his heart. Since then, Harley had noticed that he'd grown quieter and more resigned, like he was mostly off in some little world from which he would not fully return unless she found the path. She was sure that these championships could open him up again to be the friend she truly knew.

She tugged at his wrist. He was off again, his eyes going glazed and faraway..."Pleeeeeeeeaseeeee?"

"We can ask Tenma. But I don't know if she'll let us." Tenma was retaining her motherly form very well.

In truth, Ryuga was excited at the prospect of World Championships; but somehow his feelings refused to come up out of their bottle most of the time now. It was like he'd left part of his spirit back in that dark basement.


	2. Chapter 2

"PLEEEEEEEASE? Oh please oh please oh PLEEEEASE Tenma, you have to let us go!"

Harley was practically on her knees.

Poor Tenma seemed really flustered.

"I don't think you should be going out to see the world just yet! You just came back from a traumatic experience, why don't you wait until the nest time this rolls around?"

"But that could be years! Tenma PLEASSE, we're just fine!"

Tenma sighed. "I am taking responsibility as your legal guardian now, with your best interest in mind. And I don't think it's healthy to go around the world after you just escaped from the pit of despair. YOU, young man", Here she pointed at Ryuga, "Are in no shape to be in such an intense battle-after-battle scenario. And YOU, young lady", this was directed at Harley, "Do not need to be putting your brother or yourself through this situation. And finally YOU", this was aimed at Luis, "The llamas haven't been fed."

Tenma turned away. So that was that. "You're certainly allowed to go and witness the qualifying rounds and any battles that happen in the Metal City stadium; but you absolutely can NOT participate."

Harley sighed softly, defeated.

* * *

The next morning was the day of the qualifying tournaments; Harley sulked down to breakfast, unable to believe that she wouldn't be participating. She'd run away from home to look for more freedom, not less of it.

"HAS ANYONE SEEN MY CONTACT LENSES!?"

Luis stalked downstairs. He was always losing things and almost never found him again; his bedroom was like the Bermuda triangle.

He slid into the chair across from Harley, glaring at the oranges in the bowl on the table. "Oranges. I'm sick of SO many oranges, always piling up and piling up and rolling around all the time."

"You could get a job delivering grapefruit."

Luis shot her a sharp look. "They're the same thing. Orange, and round, and DISGUSTING." He tipped cereal viciously into his bowl as Ryuga appeared.

"Looks like everyone's in a bad mood today", murmured Ryuga softly. He slid something onto the table, a few slips of pink paper. 3 of them. Tickets. Tickets to the qualifying rounds.

"Tenma gave me these before she left on her errands. She said we should all go."

Luis got up and stuffed a ticket into his pocket. "I'll give you a ride over there when I go to pick up those...oranges...today, but I might be late getting there behind you."

"It's no problem." Harley fingered the pink piece of paper. "Go deliver your disgusting round orange things. We'll be fine on our own."

* * *

Ryuga walked slowly up the concrete walkway to the Metal City Stadium, glancing briefly at the throngs of people and picnic baskets.

He remembered that time back in May or August, he couldn't remember which, when he had battled Harley. His first time and his last.

And now they were on the outside looking in.

Harley watched forlornly as the battles took place, seeming to find little or no interest in the outcome. When Kyouya backed out she was stunned along with everyone else, and smiled faintly when their own Tsubasa won the place of the 3rd regular member. But other than that, his sister seemed so...down.

In the days that followed, many mornings and evenings and spare moments found the 6 children gathered around the TV in the living room, cheering on their favourite bladers as first Da Xian Wang was chosen as China team leader, then Julian Konzern for Europe, Argo Garcia for Brazil, and Damian Hart for America.

Then one night which Summer had claimed as its own, Harley threw back the thick curtain dividing their bedroom in half. Ryuga sat up sleepily. "What's the matter?' he mumbled.

"Ryuga, do you realise there's only 2 teams left to be decided?"

"Yes, why?"

"If we're going to get a chance at being on one of those teams, we need to act now."

Ryuga was fully awake by now, staring in disbelief. "Harley, we're absolutely forbidden to go. Besides, they're in Australia - "

" - and India."

"Yes."

Harley snapped a map out onto the floor of his half-room. "Look at this. If we manage to get a boat to the mainland of Asia, we can hitch hike along these highways all the way to New Delhi." She traced the complex route with her fingertips. "There's a boat leaving for India tomorrow morning. If we leave now, we'll make it to New Delhi in time to get to the qualifying rounds."

Ryuga stared at her. Had she been planning this all along?

Even as he said his next words he knew nothing could deter her now.

"You know we can't go. They'll kill us."

"Oh, please. When has that ever stopped us before?"

So Ryuga found himself gently nagged into packing a duffel bag and climbing out the window on the rope from Harley's emergency kit, which she still kept with her at all times. He said nothing as she dropped a note into the window of the sleeping Luis and climbed down below him. He said nothing as they crept aboard the boat while the sailors partied above deck, as they hid between the cargo pallets in the bottom, replacing packing material and adding an almost precarious amount of extra weight to the freightliner. Said not a word as the boat rocked beneath them and the light of day filtered through the portholes high above them, and the boat ran its course, straight towards India...


End file.
